Turkish Soccer Club Broadcast Revenue Ravaged by Piracy

Piracy might cause yet another major financial shortfall for Turkish soccer clubs.

Broadcasters bid an estimated $100 million less in media rights bids than clubs originally projected, according to Bloomberg. Broadcasters reportedly harbor major concerns about how piracy is “haunting” Turkish soccer.

• While clubs expected $250 million for broadcasting rights, broadcasters reportedly only offered up to $150 million.
• The rights would include those to the Super Lig, which BeIN Media currently holds for the 2021-22 season.

Broadcasting losses have already been reflected in this year’s revenue. BeIN Media will probably pay only about $200 million worth of annual broadcasting rights that would have been worth $500 million, per Bloomberg, though some of that loss was attributed to “extreme fluctuations in the Turkish currency.”

The news is particularly ominous for those Turkish clubs already facing major financial woes, like Fenerbahce and Galatasaray.

Troubling Pattern

Turkey’s piracy problem isn’t new — its issues traverse business sectors and have been cited by both Chinese and American reports.

For every soccer fan watching on a legal broadcast, two were watching pirated versions of matches, according to a 2021 study by BeIN Media.

As a result, Turkey loses about $36.7 million every year worth of revenue due to pirated videos, according to a 2020 report by the Daily Sabah.